Photography – Anthony Heywood

2905.4 Miles to my new home…

Posted on December 28, 2017December 5, 2020 by Stories & Light in Photography

So a little earlier this year, I decided that I was going to move my home base to Las Vegas, a town I’ve long been fan of, having many friends there and being a terrific jumping off point for all the incredible national parks nearby. As much as I enjoyed my time in South Florida, I missed the mountains so I set about planning my move.

I decided to initially move out there on a trial basis to see how things go work wise and if it all goes to plan, then make the move permanent. To that note, I knew I would need to take the basics with me, so I rented an SUV and loaded it up with all my essential shiny toys, leaving my furniture and all the grown up adulting stuff in storage.

The route I chose would take me mostly along the south coast of the US then up through Texas and Arizona over the course of 6 days.

Having done a fair few road trips over my time I estimated that I could average about 500 miles a day. In reality in the early part of the trip I was doing over 700, but that then gave me an opportunity to stop in some scenic places in the latter part of the trip.

Highlights were definitely thinking I was seeing the arrival of aliens when I captured the SpaceX launch while in Phoenix, visiting the art installation Prada Marfa in Texas and then seeing a fake tiny Target store the next day. Of course Sedona was incredible as always – such epic scenery. I ended up at my friends house in Vegas on Christmas Day and was treated to the most amazing traditional British style Christmas dinner all topped off with sticky toffee pudding and custard. I couldn’t have come up with a better way to end the trip and start the next phase of my life in Viva Las Vegas baby!

2000 miles through Colorado & New Mexico

Posted on December 2, 2017December 2, 2017 by Stories & Light in Photography

So earlier this year I had the opportunity to reunite with a lifelong friend, who also happens to be called Anthony to take a road trip through two magnificent States. I say two, but we actually visited five if you count the brief jaunt into a town called Anthony on the Texas border and a quick stop at the four corners monument.

map

I never tire of road tripping around the US, with it’s incredibly diverse landscapes. The 12 days went incredibly quickly and I snapped more pictures than you can shake a stick at, but I have selected some of my favorites below. They are a mix of snaps on my phone and shots taken on my ‘proper’ camera. Some of the highlights were Garden of the Gods just outside of Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls, Los Alamos, Roswell, White Sands National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, the Very Large Array (one of the locations seen in ‘Contact’), and a fantastic day of snowboarding in Breckenridge to end the trip on a real high.

Road to somewhere

Starting the day, and the trip off right…

I’m not saying this is a UFO, but I’m also not saying it isn’t

Mountains close to Great Sand Dunes National Park

Zapata Falls

The valley floor from mid hike up to Zapata falls

Anthony mid hike to Zapata Falls

Zapata Falls

Th snow beginning to melt at Zapata Falls

Leaping deer

3 deer in a row

Great Sand Dunes National Park… taken on the way back after having failed to hike to the top of the highest dune. It was just too darn cold…. and too darn high… plus I did it last time.

Close up sand

A plateau somewhere…

I really wanted to climb to the top but we couldn’t get close

Another road to somewhere

Roswell welcomes resident aliens… thank goodness

White Sands National Monument

Me at White Sands National Monument

Anthony at White Sands National Monument

Shooting something(or maybe just pretending to… I really can’t be sure) at White Sands

Having a zen moment at White Sands

I have my own town as I’m kind of a big deal (in my mind)

I have my own police department as I’m kind of a big deal. (in my mind)

In case you didn’t realize.

Anthony getting all kissy with the animals

Ever get that feeling someone, or something is watching you?

The Very Large Array as seen in the movie ‘Contact’

OK – So you can’t tell me that this isn’t the black fortress from Krull – top is a shot from the movie, bottom is a photo I took. I mean come on…

The dark fortress from Krull close up

4 Corners

one of the furry inhabitants from Mesa Verde

Inside one of the mountainside dwellings at Mesa Verde

Life springs forth from the ashes

Looking down into Mesa Verde… if only someone wasn’t blocking the view.

a mineral spring at the side of the road just outside Durango

Just outside Durango heading North

Waterfall at the side of the road to Silverton, CO

Lake on the road to Silverton (taken summer 2012)

Lake on the road to Silverton (taken April 2017)

Boarding in Breckenridge

Boarding buddies in Breckenridge

Fancy a drive?

Posted on November 20, 2013November 20, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

For years now, I’ve wanted to return to the Appalachians. I first visited the US when I was 13, when my family and I did an epic trip, stopping in about 6 different parts of the Eastern US. One of those stops was to visit some colleagues of my father who lived in a place called Ronceverte, West Virginia. That week, 27 years ago, was the moment that I knew that I wanted to spend much of my life in America.

For this trip I managed to work into the route, a drive by of the very house that spawned my love for the States. In numbers – it was 14 days, 2806 miles, over 60 hours driving across 8 different states and 19 finished photos. Definitely another epic trip.

Yellowstone Mellowstone

Posted on August 14, 2013November 20, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

As you may have seen from some of my previous posts, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to travel to some of the most incredible places on the planet. I never tire of visiting new places, but I do have a few favorites that I like to return to…and Yellowstone is one of them. The pictures below are from a trip I made a couple of years ago with a friend of mine. I didn’t really go specifically to take pictures, but I did manage to snap a few while we were there.

Yellowstone was only a small part of a larger road trip and 4 days was simply not enough, so whenever I get chance I’ll be back. It has such a variety of landscapes and despite it being a huge tourist attraction it never felt crowded. In fact I spent many hours sat out in the wilderness. Just me, my thoughts and my camera.

At the base of Devils Tower

Devils Tower

On the road to the badlands

Yellowstone

Devils Tower

Bison

On the road to the badlands

Mt Rushmore

On the road to the badlands

How it all Began

Posted on August 10, 2013November 21, 2017 by Stories & Light in Photography

People often ask me how long I’ve been taking photos. About 10 years is the answer, but I didn’t start to take things seriously until 2005 when I took a trip through a company called Light & Land, with some fellow photographers to the Canadian Rockies. It was roughly 10 days of living and breathing landscape photography, led by pro photographers David Ward and Clive Minnitt. I learned so much in that short period of time and it gave me a great foundation to build upon. I remember at the time being over the moon with some of the shots that I took. I look back at them now and maybe they weren’t quite as incredible as I thought, but still, they’re not too bad. I hope you like.

Peyto Lake

Morraine Lake

Morraine Lake

Colorado Wilderness

Posted on August 4, 2013August 4, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

In the fall of last year, I had arranged to spend a week in Denver with a friend, but when their plans changed I decided that I would still head out to Colorado but do a road trip instead. Just me and my camera and 1004 miles.

I have come to truly love Colorado, and it’s incredible variety of landscapes. Mountains, sand dunes, rolling hills, and some of the most epic roads anywhere on the planet. I will be back.

Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park

Wide open spaces

Trees in the fall

On the road to Rocky Mountain National Park

At the top of the highest dune @ 9000ft

Natural beauty

Cheeky chipmunk

A blue bird in a green tree

Sun Halo

The great dunes

Cheeky chipmunk

Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park

Mountain Highway

Grand vistas

San Juan National Forest

Mountain Lake

A lake in San Juan National Forest

Dunes and mountains

Dunes at sunset

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Colours of fall

Dunes and the plateau beyond

A small mountain town

Sand Dunes

Snow dusted trees

Heading out from Estes Park

From East to West

Posted on March 17, 2013August 4, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

Quite a few years back, 7 to be precise, I took a trip from one side of the US to the other with a good friend of mine, to visit various theme parks. I was big on coasters back then, now, not so much, but it was a great trip, not least because we got to visit some great vistas too. I was still a relative novice photographer back then, but I got some shots that I’m still happy with. From Cape Cod to Yosemite and more……enjoy!

Yosemite Valley

Death Valley

Plateau on Tioga Pass

Yosemite Valley

Sequoia Valley

East Coast

Near Cape Cod

A brief jaunt into Arizona

Posted on March 17, 2013August 4, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

So last year a friend of mine invited me on a quick trip to Phoenix and back from Vegas. We briefly stopped in Sedona and at the Grand Canyon. Stunning scenery – definitely hope to get back there one day, as these photos really don’t do it justice. Hope you like though.

Hoover Dam

Sedona

Grand Canyon

Alaskan Adventures Continued

Posted on January 27, 2013March 17, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

More wonderful vistas and wildlife from my journey’s through Alaska.

Almost Volcanic

Marjorie Glacier

Eagle

Holland America Line’s Volendam sailing out of Vancouver

Skagway

Glacier Bay

View into Glacier Bay

View from the deck

The Inside Passage

Marjorie Glacier

Taku Glacier

Black Bear at Taku Lodge

Sunset

Mother and cubs at Taku Lodge

Moonlight

Holland America Line’s Volendam in Vancouver

Taku Glacier

Gone fishin’

Bear in a tree

Soaring eagle

The Disney Wonder in Skagway

Alaskan King Crab

Aboard the Aleutian Ballad

Mom & baby

Taku glacier from Taku lodge

Aboard the Aleutian Ballad

Big Black Bear

BBQ Bear

Alaskan Adventures

Posted on January 27, 2013August 4, 2013 by Stories & Light in Photography

A selection of photographs taken during the summers of 2011 and 2012, while I was working for Holland America Cruise Line. South East Alaska is a staggeringly beautiful place which vast array of differing landscapes. From the warm cosy feel of some of the lodges to the stark raw vistas of places like Resurrection Bay, there is just so much to experience.